OUR MINISTER
REV. Emily DeTAr Birt

Picture
​~ You are the growing manifestation of all of your dreams. ~

Rev. Emily DeTar Birt currently serves at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Northern Westchester. She previously served the Unitarian Church of Staten Island from 2017-2022. Emily works as the Community Coordinator for a queer-centered, queer-led worshipping community called Not So Churchy under Rev. Mieke Vandersall. Emily also works as the data organizer, for Faith in New York,  multi-faith, multi-issue citywide network of congregation dedicated to community based organizing.  She also serves as past president for the Metro NY Chapter of the Unitarian Universalist Minister's Association.  Emily received her M. Div. from Union Theological Seminary in 2015, and her BA in English and Philosophy from the College of Wooster in 2012.​
​Religiously inquisitive since she could walk, Emily was born in Wickliffe, Ohio, and raised in East Shore Unitarian Universalist Church. She discovered a call to ministry at the age of fourteen, which she continues to follow. Emily cares about ministry and the interdependent nature of our shared faith calling, which is why she gives her time to supporting colleague events. She is passionate about worship and the arts, which is why she has created worship materials, poems, writings, and songs and hymns for worship.  It is her heartfelt passion for the Unitarian Universalist faith, which inspires her to continue to harness and expand her skills. 

When not working, she enjoys taking walks, testing new baking creations, and relaxing with her wife Ashley in their New York City home. She is a swing dancer, occasional writer, an avid Netflix watcher, and at her core a Unitarian Universalist.

OUR director of Religious Exploration
​Darlene Anderson-Alexander

Darlene Anderson-Alexander joined the UUFNW Staff Team as our part-time Director of Religious Exploration (DRE) in the Fall of 2019. Darlene has been involved in Unitarian Universalist Religious Education since the mid-1990s.  She is a UUA-Credentialed Religious Educator and holds a B.S. Ed. (Regular and Special Education) and a M.S. Ed. (Special Education, Severe Disabilities).  Darlene has worked with children and teens with disabilities in educational, recreational, and vocational settings.  She also worked as a volunteer coordinator in a county recreation department and a skilled nursing facility.  After taking about a 10-year hiatus from the world of work to be an at-home parent to her three children, Darlene began her new career as a professional religious educator in 2012.  She has served her home congregation in Danbury, CT, as well as the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Stamford, CT. Along with serving as the DRE here in Mt. Kisco, Darlene also works as a part-time Activities Assistant in a Senior Living Community in Danbury. 
​
Darlene lives with her husband, rising-college-Junior son, dog, and cat in New Fairfield, CT.  She enjoys frequent visits from her two young adult daughters and her almost three-year-old granddaughter! In her spare time, Darlene likes to try new vegan recipes, drum with a local group, and take walks in nature.  She is a Mets’ fan by birth and a Patriots’ fan by marriage! 

At her core, Darlene believes that raising children in a Unitarian Universalist community helps them to develop their skills as compassionate justice-seekers – skills that are desperately needed in our world today. Since she views Religious Exploration as a cooperative endeavor of creating a Unitarian Universalist Village to support children and families, Darlene welcomes communication, participation, and idea-sharing!  The best way to connect with Darlene to set up a meeting or conversation is via email at darlene.dre.uufnw@gmail.com. 

Darlene would like to welcome All to our Religious Exploration program where we expand our open minds, grow our loving hearts, and reach out our helping hands! 

OUR Community & Affiliated Ministers

Our Fellowship has three Affiliated Ministers who maintain a relationship with UUFNW as a grounding for their ministry.
​
​The Rev. ReBecca Sala is Manager of Pastoral Care at Stamford Hospital.  ReBecca graduated from New York Theological Seminary in 2003 and became a Board Certified Chaplain through the Association of Professional Chaplains in 2007.  Her community ministry focuses on supporting patients living with a mental illness through Mind, Body & Spirit groups, individual support and advocacy.

​ReBecca has trained volunteers for the lay pastoral care team at UUFNW and throughout the Metro NY District and provides pastoral care backup for our ministers.  She currently lives in Stamford, CT with her husband and cats
The Rev. Peggy Clarke is the Senior Minister of the Community Church of New York in New York City and is affiliated with UUFNW as a community minister. Peggy's community ministry is with InterGenerate, a local organization that she co-founded.  Creating environmental and social sustainability around shared concerns for food security, InterGenerate reaches across traditional social boundaries to bring people together to grow our food locally, sharing the work while deepening ties to each other. InterGenerate addresses food justice issues of 1) equal access to fresh food, 2) just treatment of food industry workers, 3) humane treatment of animals, and 4) organic agriculture which allows our eco-system to thrive. By opening and managing community gardens, egg co-ops and bee hives, InterGenerate provides local access to food that’s good, clean and fair.
The Rev. Dawn Sangrey is an affiliated minister of UUFNW. Dawn retired from the Unitarian Universalist ministry in 2019, after a two-decade career serving several congregations as consulting and interim minister.  Dawn lives with her husband, Paul Fargis, in New Paltz, NY.

UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST FELLOWSHIP OF NORTHERN WESTCHESTER

Copyright 2022